We were intrepid hikers yesterday. We took the Calloway Trail to an overlook elevation of 2,274 feet. We showtime parked our truck on the Barrett Loop of the solid set down park, where nosotros picked upward the trailhead.
When nosotros realized the rockiness of the hike, coupled alongside high steps upward in addition to down, Mike went dorsum to the truck for my hiking pole. My articulatio genus tin guide maintain this degree of hiking, but the pole gives me improve stability in addition to to a greater extent than confidence.
It's possible to hike to the exceed of Picacho Peak. There are 2 dissimilar trails: Hunter Trail, which took off from the same spot. Also, Sunset Vista Trail, which tin last reached from our campsite. Both trails are rated every bit "difficult." Also, "The road is steep in addition to twisting, alongside steel cables (gloves are recommended) anchored into the stone inwards places where the surface is bare." Okay, good that was a petty every bit good much for us to commit to. Here's what nosotros did. We took the cherry arrows to the overlook, in addition to therefore followed the greenish arrows dorsum the agency nosotros came in addition to took a spur hike to the Nature Trail before heading dorsum to the truck.
It ended upward beingness a hike of a petty over 2 miles in addition to 34 flights. While I waited for Mike, I took this panorama of the expanse surrounding the trailhead.
Also, I noticed the Ocotillo cactus are greening upward in addition to getting laid upward to bloom.
So far, nosotros haven't seen whatsoever genuinely blooming hither inwards Picacho Peak State Park, but I receive got some images of blooming Ocotillos from a previous see to Organ Pipe National Monument, which is virtually 100 miles southeast of here.
We were virtually halfway to the overlook when nosotros stopped in addition to looked back. You tin run across the campground far off inwards the distance. We are parked on the far side.
Also, nosotros noticed this Homer Simpson cactus.
From the top, nosotros could gaze out toward Tucson, Arizona.
Here's a panorama from the spot where nosotros sat on a bench in addition to ate our Clif bars.
On the agency dorsum down, nosotros noticed this cactus having a bad pilus day. This is how I experience inwards the morning.
There's an amazing variety of cacti to last constitute inwards this park, in addition to merely a few hundred feet of elevation tin brand a large divergence inwards varieties. We noticed to a greater extent than of these barrel cactus alongside their cherry barbed needles. You wouldn't desire to autumn into i of these suckers.
Here nosotros peeled off onto the Nature Trail.
And there, nosotros noticed this bird's nest built on the arms of a teddy send cholla. My friend CJ tells me that this is undoubtedly the nest of a cactus wren. It's the same plane nosotros saw perched on a saguaro cactus inwards our wanderings through the campground.
I believe this petty beau is known every bit a hedgehog cactus. With names similar "teddy bear" in addition to "hedgehog" i powerfulness mean value y'all could cuddle upward adjacent to them, but I'd in all probability avoid that if I were you.
There was some signage along the Nature Trail explaining the geology of the park. You tin read it if you're interested.
Sorry virtually cutting off the left side of the prototype below, but I mean value y'all tin all the same read it.
When nosotros got dorsum to the RV, the air current picked upward in addition to it blew similar crazy all the residuum of the day. In New Mexico, nosotros were facing into the wind. Here, nosotros were catching it total strength from the side, in addition to it made for a rather uncomfortable afternoon. We were glad to receive got been out before before the air current picked up.
Today we're heading for Blythe, California. I was merely virtually to type that there's genuinely cypher to run across inwards Blythe when whoa! I constitute this information virtually the Blythe Itaglios. These are anthropomorphic geoglyphs located inwards the Colorado Desert. Who knew? And if "anthropomorphic geoglyphs" every bit good much of a mouthful, here's a flick of what I'm taking about. This prototype was taken from a Google satellite.
There are half-dozen total figures inwards iii split areas, believed to receive got been created past times the Mohave or Quechan Indians somewhere betwixt 450 in addition to 2,000 years ago. Two large man-like drawings (likely Mastamho, the Creator) in addition to a some smaller animals (likely Hatakulya, 2 mount lions/persons who helped inwards the Creation) stretch upward to 171 feet ( 52 meters) inwards length across the desert floor. In my searching for to a greater extent than information virtually them, this link from Ron Kilber's Log had the most consummate information in addition to pictures.
So...I don't know if we'll larn at that topographic point or not. It's the form of affair best seen from the air, but y'all merely never know where the Three Cats Ranch Traveling RV volition goal up. To larn dorsum to what I was saying, we're going at that topographic point because it's a practiced length of a day, in addition to at that topographic point are several costless spots to remain for the night. Tomorrow, we'll last at our finally resting spot of Hemet before nosotros caput for dwelling inwards April.